Return of The Tan (Sri): Vincent 's return to Berjaya at the age of retirement raises questions about Robin and 1MDB,and sibling rivalry?

by Ganesh Sahathevan





Tan Sri Dato Seri (x9) Vincent Tan Chee Yiuon is back at Berjaya, demoting heir apparent Robin Tan to his apprentice in waiting role. What make this curious is the fact that Robin has led the group for the last 5 years,while daddy Vincent is now 65, the age of retirement. 

Sarawak Report has linked Robin Tan to the main players in the 1MDB matter, placing him at what appears  to have been the meeting where the 1MDB scheme was hatched,

As this writer says ;

Robin Tan's Jho Low/Petrosaudi yacht trip may complicate issues of Berjaya succession and inheritance: Only natural when there are 10 other siblings,some with very powerful spouses ......

END 

"Innocent Owner" Riza Aziz Attended Yacht Meeting Before Good Star Heist - EXCLUSIVE

• 21 February 2017
 
• 18 comments

Last week in California the Prime Minister’s step-son, Riza Aziz, filed a notice to dismiss the US Department of Justice’s seizure of his properties on the grounds that he was the “innocent owner” and could not be held responsible for the fact the money was stolen from 1MDB.

Motion to dismiss by Riza’s lawyers

Those properties include a Beverly Hills mansion, the film production company Red Granite’s future earnings from Wolf of Wall Street, a London Belgravia town house and a New York penthouse.

What this defence contends is that Riza had simply no idea that the hundreds of millions that suddenly started coming his way was not stolen, but thought it was a gift. For this reason he reckons he should be allowed to hang on to all the items bought with Malaysia’s stolen development money (money which the Malaysian tax payer is now faced with paying back to the original lenders at high interest rates).

Yet Sarawak Report has established new evidence that Riza was in from the very start on the 1MDB heist, in that he was invited to attend the meeting where the first ‘joint venture’ was cooked up between Jho Low, the Prime Minister and company PetroSaudi on the super-yacht Tatoosh in August 2009.

A trip manifest reveals that the jaunt, which took place between 15-20th August, was organised by a “high-end boutique concierge company” named Baroque, of which Jho Low was a member. According to the note made by the representative for Baroque, Sahle Ghebreyesus, the trip was in fact commissioned by his client Jho Low (whom he describes on the manifest as “my guy”). In March the following year Tarek Obaid also joined Baroque, which is an agency designed to pamper the super-rich:

High-end boutique concierge company that organised the rental of Tatoosh

Photographs later obtained by Sarawak Report show the main players behind the theft of the first billion from 1MDB through the PetroSaudi ‘joint venture’, which was strategised during this super-yacht meeting.

However, we can now confirm that Riza Aziz also joined the party, along with Najib’s key financial cronies Bustari Yusof and Robin Tan.  Robin Tan is the son of Vincent Tan, long associated with BN political funding, and Bustari is the Sarawak PPB party treasurer cum billionaire, who was handed the ‘turnkey contract’ for the Pan Borneo Highway project and whose brother Fadillah has now been appointed Minister for Public Works.

This gives the Bustari brothers control over all the big contracts handed out by the Government, in Malaysia’s notoriously corrupted procurement process and Bustari has rarely strayed from Najib’s side in recent months.

‘My guy” Jho Low fixed the trip. “innocent owner” Riza Aziz was also on board

Did Riza have simply no idea what was going on as these guys did the business which was soon to send money streaming his way?

It was just a few short months later that he went on to launch his production company Red Granite Pictures at the most lavish launch party ever seen at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.

And over the next two years Jho Low was at Riza’s side at every major film event involving Red Granite Pictures, including Wolf of Wall Street, which was funded by yet more money stolen from 1MDB, thanks to the later ‘Power Purchase Loan’ manoeuvres also organised by Jho Low.

According to the New York Times, Low was furthermore directly involved in the purchase of both of Riza’s US properties in Hollywood and New York. Did Riza simply fail to realise what was going on?

There can only be two conclusions. Either Riza is lying and he did know or Riza is a sad and stupid creature, who was merely used as a front and proxy by the players behind the scandal, which included his friend Jho Low and step-dad Najib.

He is therefore EITHER innocent OR the owner.  He cannot be the “innocent owner”!

left to right – Tarek Obaid, Prince Turki and Najib Razak – the three named Shareholders of the 1MDB PetroSaudi Joint Venture meeting a month before the deal on the yacht Tatoosh.

Sarawak Report requests that various journalists, authors and film makers, who seek to use this site as their resource for commercial projects such as books and documentaries give full credit to this blog, acknowledge copyright and do not seek to apply for awards, commissions etc without so doing.

Singapore investigating Goldman for 1MDB related offences: ASIC's new boss James Shipton in the cross hairs

by Ganesh Sahathevan 

PHOTO: ASIC's new chair, James Shipton (Supplied: Harvard University)


The matter of James Shipton,the newly appointed ASIC chief has been reported on this blog in this story:

Australia appoints Goldman man who oversaw 1MDB deals head of corporate regulator ASIC: James Shipton looked the other way to allow Goldman to profit from the 1MDB theft

Now Shipton is going to have to contend with having his conduct investigated by the relevant authorities of the Government Of Singapore.



Report: Singapore police examine Goldman’s Role in 1MDB deals - BloombergPublished: Today 11:06 am Modified: Today 12:15 pm

Singaporean prosecutors and police are looking at Goldman Sachs Group's relationship with the scandal-hit Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB, Bloomberg
reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Singapore's economic crime unit and city prosecutors have interviewed current and former Goldman Sachs executives who worked on bond offerings from 1MDB, Bloomberg reported.

1MDB, founded by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, is facing money laundering probes in at least six countries including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore.

Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

A Goldman Sachs spokesman in Hong Kong declined to comment.

Officials at the Singaporean police and 1MDB were not immediately available for comment.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) had earlier in the week barred two individuals involved in breaches related to the 1MDB fund from taking part in financial services management and advisory activities.




In March, the MAS issued a 10-year prohibition order against Tim Leissner, former Southeast Asia chairman at Goldman Sachs, who it said had made false statements on behalf of his bank without its knowledge or consent.

Leissner was responsible for managing the relationship with 1MDB when Goldman Sachs was engaged to arrange three bond issues from 2012 to 2013. MAS had flagged its intention to ban Leissner last December.

-Reuters



Read more at https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/400581#Z8yLebT4WQe13Akw.99

Malaysian Government intimidates witness in UK defamation matter; Theresa May faces rule of law issues. compromised by special meeting with Najib Razak

by Ganesh Sahathevan






Malaysian Government and PM Najib Razak  spokesman, the Manchester based Raja Petra Kamaruddin, has published a series of articles attacking a Malaysian witness in a UK defamation matter; Hadi Awang v Clare Rewcastle Brown.

That the witness is Malaysian human rights campaigner Ambiga Sreenevasan, one of Najib and his government's most vocal critics, makes motive for the attacks rather obvious, raising all sorts of rule of law issues for UK PM Theresa May. May recently met with Najib, as he was passing through en-route Malaysia. It was not an official visit, but portrayed by Malaysian media as an affirmation of Najib's stature in the UK.

Petra is not alone. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Rahman Dahlan has gone so far as to demand that Ambiga hand over any and all information she may have on Hadi Awang, whose support Najib and his Government are relying on to get re-elected.

Hadi Awang is suing for defamation he says was caused by  Rewcastle-Brown's publication on her Sarawak Report news site where she claimed that Najib had used money from 1MDB to buy Hadi's support. 

The problem for May : What does one do when  a Commonwealth PM, with whom you are supposed to have a special relationship , uses his power to intimidate a witness in a matter before UK courts,clearly attempting to undermine the processes of the UK justice system? In other words, what to do when contempt of a UK court is being perpetrated by a close ally, the Prime Minister Of Malaysia,and his associates?

END

The Tale Of Indian And White Women

Getting Ambiga to answer is like getting the Pope to embrace Islam

November 1, 2017 Raggie Jessy

TTF: Ambiga will never answer the allegation (see news item below). There are two possibilities though – first, Clare Rewcastle Brown may actually have slandered the ex-Bar Council President. Clare is using every trick in […]

Clare Brown is headed towards perjury

October 31, 2017 Raggie Jessy

“Ms. Rewcastle will keep lying under oath just to prevent the trial from coming to an end. She is well aware that Hadi isn’t party to publications by The Third Force or Malaysia Today, but […
]

Aiyoyo Ambiga, why so quiet one?

November 1, 2017 Raggie Jessy

“So you see, you must not blame Ambiga for staying mum on Ms. Rewcastle’s recent allegations. While it is true that the Bersih co-chairperson is in the business of fabricating evidence to destroy anyone she […]

Speak Up To Clear Your Name, Umno Leaders Tell Ambiga

Chun Wai's Tan Sri title in jeopardy: The Star's deceptive Ops Lalang stories have rekindled memories of the trigger event: Najib ,TPCA ,the kris and that speech

Comment 

 THE STAR and MD Wong  Chun Wai's Ops Lalang series of stories,  which desperately attempted to omit any reference to  that event and any reference to Najib Razak . brought back memories of this:

Excerpt 

Umno Youth, headed by Najib Razak, reacted by calling a counter-rally for Oct 17 at TPCA Stadium in Jalan Raja Muda, with Najib threatening to call out 500,000 into the streets. A year earlier, in Novmber 1986, Umno Youth had held a demonstration at Putra World Trade Centre to protest against a statement by Lee Kim Sai that all three major races in Malaysia had arrived through immigration and only the Orang Asli were prebumi.

The TPCA stadium rally was a heated affair with cries for blood. Najib Razak was reputed to have drawn a keris and threatened to bathe it in blood, and there were other blood-curling statements made, including cries of “another May 13″.

The very next day, Kuala Lumpur and the metropolitan area went into curfew shutdown mode when a Malay Regiment soldier from an Ipoh camp, private Adam Jaffar, allegedly went amok in the Chow Kit area, loosing off his M16 automatic assault rifle: an elderly Chinese man died after being hit by a ricochet, and several others were wounded.

The Day Of The Dictator – Oct 27, 1987

By Admin-S On Oct 27, 2012

Share

uppercaise

Twenty-five years ago today, the first Umno Malay Civil War caused the arrests of at least 106 civilians in the infamous Operation Lallang (Operasi Lalang, in Malay) when the beleaguered Mahathir Mohamad government used the political turmoil that had been festering through the year to detain opposition politicians (and a few from Umno), Chinese educationists, academicians and activists, priests and a Malay Christian convert.

It was clear then, as it is now, that the detentions and the subsequent climate of fear were aimed at ensuring Mahathir’s survival. The events of 1987 would subsequently lead to the judiciary’s loss of independence, tighter restriction on the media, and a free hand for Mahathir and his political and business cronies. The Constitution was ripped apart, with one of the three Estates left in limbo.

The country has still to recover from that grievous wound.

Things had come to a head earlier in the year, when Mahathir Mohamad was challenged for the leadership of Umno, for the first time since he took power 12 years before. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had teamed up with Musa Hitam (“Team B”) to take on Mahathir and his gang.

At the Umno general assembly on April 24, Mahathir narrowly survived, by 43 votes, against Tengku Razaleigh, whose Team B managed only to win a third of the seats on the Umno supreme council.

Tensions had been growing in Umno in the three years after Tengku Razaleigh had been replaced as finance minister by Mahathir’s partner Daim Zainuddin. Malaysia had just come through two years of a global economic recession in 1984-85, but there was growing discontent about Mahathir’s privatisation policies to selected cronies, as well as his authoritarian style.

After the party election, a suit was filed on June 25 by “the Umno 11″ — a group of Umno members (one had dropped out) who sought a court declaration to have the Umno elections overturned, on the ground that 78 illegal members were among the delegates at the Umno general assembly, and that documents had been tampered with.

On Sept 30, the High Court gave the two sides a fortnight to settle it between themselves. There was a standoff: Razaleigh’s side wanted new elections, Mahathir’s camp offered a “face-saving solution” if they accepted the results. On Oct 19, the Umno 11 said the suit would proceed.

Operation Spectrum: young professional social activists rounded up, accused of a Marxist plot

Tensions had been further heightened when on May 21, the Singapore government carried out a security crackdown, alleging a Marxist conspiracy “to subvert the existing social and political system … to establish a Marxist state”. They were 16 mostly English-educated people comprising a mix of church workers, social workers, graduates and professionals. It prompted fears of repercussions in Malaysia.

In the midst of all that, Chinese educationists had been unhappy with the posting of non-Mandarin-speaking heads of Chinese schools by the Education Ministry (then headed by Anwar Ibrahim).

Political temperatures had been rising.

As the Barisan Nasional’s Chinese-based parties added their voices to the ruckus raised by Dong Xiao Zong and the DAP, a rally was called on Oct 11 next to Thean Hou temple.

Umno Youth, headed by Najib Razak, reacted by calling a counter-rally for Oct 17 at TPCA Stadium in Jalan Raja Muda, with Najib threatening to call out 500,000 into the streets. A year earlier, in Novmber 1986, Umno Youth had held a demonstration at Putra World Trade Centre to protest against a statement by Lee Kim Sai that all three major races in Malaysia had arrived through immigration and only the Orang Asli were prebumi.

The TPCA stadium rally was a heated affair with cries for blood. Najib Razak was reputed to have drawn a keris and threatened to bathe it in blood, and there were other blood-curling statements made, including cries of “another May 13″.

The very next day, Kuala Lumpur and the metropolitan area went into curfew shutdown mode when a Malay Regiment soldier from an Ipoh camp, private Adam Jaffar, allegedly went amok in the Chow Kit area, loosing off his M16 automatic assault rifle: an elderly Chinese man died after being hit by a ricochet, and several others were wounded.

Rumours of shootings and deaths in Chow Kit, and memories of the 1969 race riots spread throughout the city, heightening the tension, which worsened through the hours of a 30-hour siege when Pvt Adam refused to surrender to the police, demanding to see his unit commander. He was finally taken into custody by the military before being put on trial.

A day later, the Umno 11 raised the ante against Mahathir. They rejected making a deal with Mahathir and announced the suit would proceed.

It was against that fast-moving backdrop of intense Umno Malay rivalry and racial and political tension, that the police began their swoop in the early hours on Oct 27. They called it an act of national security. But it was all for Umno’s security, and for the job security of Mahathir Mohamad.

Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2012/10/27/the-day-of-the-dictator/

Given the Joyce decision, Senator Penny Wong is at the mercy of the Malaysian Government

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Penelope Wong Ying Yen, 
 Senator Penny Wong, was
 born in Kota Kinabalu ,State Of Sabah,
 Federation of Malaysia. Her father Francis Wong 
is a Malaysian citizen,which makes Wong a Malaysian
 citizen by birth.

The High Court has decided that Barnaby Joyce and others are disqualified form sitting in  the Australian Parliament despite their  having no knowledge of their foreign citizenship.

Penny Wong on the other hand cannot deny knowledge of her Malaysian citizenship, and rather than provide proof of renunciation, plays with words that only Malcom Turnbull seems to
accept (for reasons best known to him).

Regardless, our dear Senator Wong is especially now,given the High Court's decision, at the mercy of the Malaysian Government,
who would be silly not to use the fact of  Wong's citizenship against
her,and to the detriment  of the  Australia's national interest. 
END 

realpolitikasia

Friday, July 14, 2017

Senator Penny Wong born in Malaysia,and born a Malaysian citizen-Has she officially renounced Malaysian citizenship, and can we see proof?

by Ganesh Sahathevan






Penelope Wong Ying Yen, aka Senator Penny Wong, was born in Kota Kinabalu ,State Of Sabah, Federation of Malaysia. Her father Francis Wong is a Malaysian citizen,which makes Wong a Malaysian citizen by birth.


While she moved to Australia in  1976,that would not have caused the loss of her Malaysian citizenship.
Many Malaysians who later in life took up citizenship  of other countries assumed that by doing so Malaysian citizenship was lost  automatically, but this is not the case.

There is ,provided for in the Malaysian Constitution and arising laws a process which requires citizens who wish to renounce their citizenship to make a formal application to do so.It is up to the Malaysian Government to determine if the application should be accepted.

If the Government determines that the application is to be accepted, then the applicant is issued a formal notice of that fact,with a copy of his or her Malaysian birth certificate marked with  words in Malay and/or English  ,"No longer a citizen of Malaysia (paraphrase)".

None of this has ever been provided the public in the case of Penny Wong. Indeed the question has never been put. We are simply expected to accept  that Wong is not a citizen of Malaysia, despite the facts.
END

Qantas tell partner Emirates :We will fight for equality for all, and we do not care what your religion says

Comment

It was Alan Joyce who engineered the JV with Emirates, and it is now Alan Joyce who says this:

Last week, Qantas boss Alan Joyce hit out at “extremities” in the tone from “some elements” on both sides of the debate.

Qantas chairman defends airlines role in SSM campaign

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce posing for a photograph with the new Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner. (AAP Image/Qantas, Brent Winstone)

• ANNABEL HEPWORTH
• The Australian
• 11:43AM October 27, 2017
25
Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford has defended the flagship carrier’s support for the same-sex marriage campaign, saying “we have never directed others what to think”.

Addressing this morning’s annual general meeting, Mr Clifford said that shareholders had wanted to know why Qantas (QAN) thought it had a role to play in the campaign.

Mr Clifford said that Qantas had “always stood up for equality and a fair go”

“As part of that we lend our support to a range of social issues such as gender diversity, indigenous rights and reconciliation and marriage equality.

“We believe there’s a moral case for supporting equality in general as well as a strong business case.

• READ MORE
• Dutton: ‘stick to your knitting’
• ABC’s stifling SSM groupthinkCHRIS KENNY
• Yes and No extremes ‘hurtful’ANNABEL HEPWORTH

“Qantas is certainly not the only company that has taken a strong stance.”

Over 1,300 organisations had signed up to marriage equality in Australia, he said.

“We have never directed others what to think about marriage equality or how to vote in the postal survey.

“We’ve only asked for respectful debate on the issue and that includes respect for those who disagree ... just as we do on economic matters I think it is the responsibility of large corporate to speak up on social issues when it aligns with our values.”

Qantas has faced some criticism over its use of the iconic brand to campaign on the same sex marriage issue, including from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who famously said that ASX-listed companies should “stick to their knitting”.

Last week, Qantas boss Alan Joyce hit out at “extremities” in the tone from “some elements” on both sides of the debate.

Mr Joyce has reportedly personally donated $1 million to the Yes campaign.

Predicting Chinese submarine technology using Russian technology as a proxy -Part 2

First see

Predicting Chinese submarine technology using Russian technology as a proxy in a Dempster Shafer framework-Part 1

A Russian submarine’s recent antics have revived a Cold War fear

A TENSE chase through the Mediterranean has revealed how rattled the US and NATO were by a recent cheeky ploy by a ghostly Russian submarine.Jamie Seidel

But the Russians weren’t going to play. The submarine had travelled on the surface — in plain sight — through the North Sea from Russia’s northern naval bases. A succession of NATO warships — including Britain’s HMS Somerset — kept a watchful eye on it, waiting for it to submerge.

It didn’t.

At least not until it reached Libya, where Russia’s Defence Ministry abruptly warned international airlines that it would be taking part in military exercises off the coast.

It was part of a sales-pitch to Egypt, and others, who are in the market for modern — quiet — conventionally powered submarines.

Then, out of the blue on May 29, a series of cruise missiles tore through the air towards targets around Syria’s besieged city of Palmyra.

They were Russian.

They came from the Krasnodar.

This changed everything.

It also posed a troubling question: who was hunting whom?

A screen capture of Russian Ministry of Defence footage claiming to show the submarine Krasnodar launching a cruise missile, while submerged, at targets in Syria earlier this year.Source:Supplied

GOING OFF-SCRIPT

Naval analyst and historian Dr Alexander Clarke says the cruise missile strike didn’t go to the usual Russian playscript.

At first it was a familiar game of cat-and mouse. The Russian submarine tried — but not too hard — to keep invisible. The US and NATO subhunters tried — but not too hard — to keep it in their sights.

Neither side wants to reveal all the tricks they have up their sleeve.

Then Krasnodar launched its cruise missiles at targets in Syria.

A screen capture of Russian Ministry of Defence footage purporting to show cruise missiles from the submarine Krasnodar striking targets near Palmyra, Syria, earlier this year.Source:Supplied

“The Russians have usually ‘cheated’ in exercises with prearranged midpoint missile guidance updates from a ground unit, a surface ship, or a helicopter. This time it didn’t happen, which means she must have received far more accurate data. With all the world watching, the Russians must have been very sure that the everything would work.” Dr Clarke says.

“More importantly, Krasnodar didn’t surface to communicate or to fire, which again has become fairly common practice over the last ten or fifteen years.”

Put simply, Krasnodar was operating on a warlike footing.

The submarine was trying to remain unseen. It was exposing itself — and its missiles — as little as possible to reduce the chances of detection.

But Krasnodar — and the Russian frigate Admiral Essen — was being observed.

The NATO frigate HMS Somerset and the Wildcat helicopter it carries reportedly moved up to see what was going on.

“However, the Russian commander is likely one of their newer breed, younger, slightly more aggressive, confident in his boat and crew,” Dr Clarke says. “Would he perhaps have been tempted to do some turnaround as fair game? This is what we are now hearing rumours about.”

Exactly what that “turnaround” was is unknown.

Did Krasnodar ‘vanish’? Did it make successful mock attack runs on NATO warships? Did it perhaps sit silent before surprising unsuspecting NATO ships with a loud sonar ‘ping’?

An anti-submarine MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during a replenishment-at-seain the Mediterranean Sea on June 21. It is likely to have been involved in the hunt for Krasnodar. Picture: US NAVYSource:AFP

The new phase of a deadly old Cold War game appears to have lasted for several weeks.

Notably, the game of cat-and-mouse was still panning out when a Syrian jet fighter was shot down by the USS George H.W. Bush’s F-18 aircraft on June 18.

Moscow threatened to shoot down US fighter aircraft in retaliation.

Five days later, the submerged Krasnodar fired another salvo of cruise missiles into Syria.

The USS George H.W. Bush was moving through waters south of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean at the time.

“They were flexing their muscles,” Rear Admiral Kenneth Whitesell, commander of the USS Bush strike group, told the Wall Street Journal. He added that the launch was watched by a French frigate and US Navy aerial surveillance.

But had the hunters become the hunted?

“If everything had gone as normal it would not be getting any attention, but if Krasnodar did manage to pull some tricks …” Dr Clarke says.

Another view, taken by a Royal Navy helicopter, of the Krasnodar as it moved through the English Channel earlier this year. Picture: Royal NavySource:Supplied

RENEWED CAPABILITY

The Russian Kilo-class submarine is nothing new. It’s been around in some form or another since the 1980s.

But Krasnodar represents a significant evolution.

Moscow’s keen to export them for desperately needed hard currency, given the swath of sanctions that have been applied against the country since it invaded Crimea in 2014.

As such, it’s marketing Krasnodar and the submarines of its class as the quietest in the world.

Russian state media claims the submarine “was dubbed ‘black hole’ by NATO.”

“That’s twaddle,” says Dr Clarke. “But it’s probably the quietest Kilo, and all powered down running just on batteries in the noisy Mediterranean, that could start to cause worry — even for NATO.”

Dr Clarke says the design of Krasnodar is interesting, and appears to be very successful.

“And the Russians will not only build more for themselves, they’ll probably be building similar vessels for others. Vietnam, Algeria, India and Iran will all be interested in that capability ... and you can be sure China wants to match it.”

“With the likes of Krasnodar now having cruise missile capability, they are pretty much the kingpin of Russia’s sea denial/anti-access forces ... a mobile minefield which is also capable of precision strike. It’s what Australia wanted from the Collins class, Japan from the Soryu’s and Israel from the Dolphins. The difference is Russia seems to have got it and are confident enough to flaunt it.”

Russia plans to build 12 of the new ‘Yasen’ class of nuclear attack submarine.Source:Supplied

And the Russians are building two other new designs.

Both are nuclear powered.

The Borei class are Russia’s new generation of ballistic missile submarines — the cornerstone and most survivable part of its nuclear arsenal.

The hunter class, called the Yasen, is intended to destroy US aircraft carriers like USS George H.W. Bush.

And the Wall Street Journal speculates one of these — the Kazan — may have secretly shadowed the USS George H.W. Bush and Britain’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elisabeth, during August exercises in the North Atlantic.

If true that presents a major step back towards the level of submarine activity that was a feature of the Cold War.

“This is something which Western navies, already visibly showing the strain of years of both constant high operation tempos and budget cuts, might find breaks them,” Dr Clarke says.